Do you think server-side technology such as PHP is so complex that only IT administration professionals can understand it? Not so. Using the right tools, anybody with just one machine can learn all about PHP. To find out how, read on...

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Moving over to server-side

The vast majority of programmers are very much accustomed to client-side
development. Nowadays, this is very often not enough! The range and richness of
servers are growing all the time, so that just about any device to which code is
deployed can be seen as a "server." This loose definition of a server
includes handheld computers and mobile phones. The same is true of capable
devices such as set-top boxes. Java technology to run on these elements is
growing increasingly sophisticated. In short, server-side is a good place to
be.

PHP is an interesting scripting language because it allows you to more
closely control your website pages. When I first looked at PHP, I was struck by
how hard it is to install tools and get up and running with the language. So a
good portion of this article is devoted to helping you avoid the pain of
installation.